Your Own Monday Headlines Save the Town, But They Don't Do It Lying Down

 

Courtesy Masterworks Broadway.

Last week's Notable Opening Night was Feb. 19, 1978, when On the Twentieth Century opened at the St. James. People often talk about the productions they'd love to have seen, and that one's high on my list.

I'm getting over a sinus headache, so it's another capsule histories kind of day.


Notable Feb. 19 openings include:
Let Us Be Gay, which opened in 1929 at what is now the Hayes. Rachel Crothers wrote and directed this comedy about a socialite (Francine Larrimore, Tallulah Bankhead in London, Norma Shearer on screen), formerly a frumpy housewife, who crosses paths with her ex (Warren William) during a weekend hosted by his girlfriend's grandmother (Marie Dressler on screen), a dowager who can't stand him. Crothers had been writing for Broadway since 1906 and a writer-director since 1921. Her career wrapped in the '40s.

Awake and Sing!, which opened in 1935 at the Belasco. After nearly five years acting mostly for the Group Theatre, Clifford Odets made his playwriting debut with this drama directed by Harold Clurman (another ex-actor). Life sucks for a Bronx family, for reasons including the fear of poverty, their daughter's unwed, unwanted pregnancy, political differences, and the generation gap. The OBC included "Jules" Garfield (as John was known then), Francine Larrimore's cousins, siblings Luther and Stella Adler, the eventually-wed Morris Carnovsky and Phoebe Brand, J.E. Bromberg, Art Smith (Doc in the OBC of West Side Story), and Sanford Meisner. Many of the above were named before HUAC by Elia Kazan.

Picnic, which opened in 1953 at the Music Box. "Madge is the pretty one!" William Inge won the Pulitzer and Joshua Logan won the Tony for their writing and direction of this play about how awesome it is when a hunk comes to town. There's a little more to it, but not much. I can't top Bobby Rivers' commentary. On Broadway, Paul Newman eventually got to play Hal, and Eileen Heckart got on the map with the role of Rosemary, played in the movie by Rosalind Russell.

Courtesy YouTube.

On the Twentieth Century, which opened in 1978 at the St. James. Nine Tony nominations and five wins went to this Cy Coleman-Betty Comden and Adolph Green musicalization of Twentieth Century. Down and out Broadway producer Oscar Jaffee (John Cullum) is certain that he can win back the girl he made a star, Lily Garland, f.k.a. Mildred Plotka (Madeline Kahn). Others aboard the Chicago-Manhattan train ride include Lily's boyfriend Bruce (Kevin Kline), a fellow movie actor, and Mrs. Letitia Primrose (Imogene Coca). Kahn, Coca, director Harold Prince, and On the Twentieth Century itself lost Tonys, mostly to Ain't Misbehavin' (and Nell Carter, in Coca's case). Kahn lost to Liza Minnelli for The Act. With all due respect to Liza, it's likely that had Madeline not left Century after nine weeks, she'd have won the Tony.

Courtesy YouTube.

Crazy For You, which opened in 1992 at the Shubert. George and Ira Gershwin's music provided the score for this Ken Ludwig-written, Mike Ockrent-directed, Susan Stroman-choreographed show about the love that happens between a New Yorker with show business dreams (Harry Groener) and a Nevada girl whose dad's theater faces foreclosure (Jodi Benson). Crazy For You won Tonys for its production, Stroman, and William Ivey Long's costumes. The wealth was spread fairly evenly in 1992 among Crazy For You, the Guys and Dolls revival, Jelly's Last Jam, and Falsettos.

Courtesy YouTube.

Notable Feb. 23 openings include:

Saravá, which opened in 1979 at the Mark Hellinger (now home to the Times Square Church), but spent most of its run at the Broadway. Mitch Leigh and N. Richard Nash's musicalization of Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, about a ghost disrupting his widow's new marriage, flopped. However, it also scored at Tony nod for Tovah Feldshuh. She lost to Angela Lansbury for Sweeney Todd.

Courtesy YouTube.

The Pajama Game, which was revived in 2006 at what is now the Todd Haimes. Harry Connick Jr., Kelli O'Hara, and Michael McKean starred in this production that won Tonys for Best Revival of a Musical and for Kathleen Marshall's choreography.

Courtesy YouTube.

Sunday in the Park with George, revived in 2017 at the Hudson. Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford starred in this production, which had a strictly limited run (61 performances) and ultimately was taken out of consideration for Tony nominations. For the record, the 2017 winners included Ben Platt for Dear Evan Hansen and the Bette Midler-led revival of Hello, Dolly!

Courtesy YouTube.

Once again, I'm offering a choice. Thursday's essay (and I do plan to write an actual essay again) can be on either Deathtrap or Jerome Robbins' Broadway.